


Philadelphia to New York

by Eternal Scribe (Shadowcat)



Category: Cold Case, Without a Trace
Genre: Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-30
Updated: 2014-09-30
Packaged: 2018-02-19 10:05:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2384360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowcat/pseuds/Eternal%20Scribe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes, only another woman in the same line of work as you could understand everything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Philadelphia to New York

**Author's Note:**

> For my [Ladies Bingo](http://ladiesbingo.dreamwidth.org/) card
> 
> Prompt: Freestyle Crossover

Neither of them had very many friends outside of work, so they were both surprised when working on a case turned into friendship. They both understood how hard it was to be a woman in a mostly male dominated field and even though changes were happening, they were slow to happen. Maybe that was what made the monthly dinner dates all the more important to them.

“You’re not limping as much as I expected you to be so soon after the shooting,” Lilly commented as she handed a menu across the table to her friend. “Though, the next time Martin calls me to tell me that you’ve been wounded after the fact, I may have to strangle him with his own tie.”

“I tend to heal quicker than most.” Sam laughed, shaking her head. “And what would have happened if he had called you as soon as I was taken hostage? You would have worried yourself sick and made some stupid mistake, or made some kind of self-sacrificial decision.”

Lilly arched an eyebrow and shook her head. “No. I and probably Will would have found ourselves travelling to New York.”

“And what were two detectives from Philly Homicide going to accomplish?”

“We would have figured it out when we got there,” Lilly said simply. “Plus, it would have made your team feel a little less overwhelmed to have friends there willing to do whatever we had to in order to help.”

Sam laughed again. “I’m not sure that Martin would call Will a _friend_. I think he’s a little intimidated by your partner.”

“Maybe not, but Jack does. And Vivien would have been relieved to have another stubborn woman that she could count on to be level-headed.” She smiled. “Plus, we would have provided a cross-jurisdiction distraction so your FBI team guys could handle it without NYPD trying to call the shots.”

Now it was Sam’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “That could have caused you a lot of trouble and probably gotten you into hot water with your boss?”

“With our Lieutenant?” Lilly shook her head. “He would have had our backs on that. He looks after his people and his friends.” She gave Sam a rare grin. “Besides, that woman in charge of the operation would have had to deal with Will _and_ Jack. You would have been out of there a lot sooner – and so would Jack.”

Sam waited until the waitress had walked away with their orders before looking closely at Lilly. “So, you know all about how I’m doing, but Will is a bit more close-mouthed than Danny and Martin are.” She tilted her head. “I hear you just closed a case that had been unsolved since 1975?”

“Yeah,” Lilly nodded. “High school student was bludgeoned to death with a tennis racket by her then boyfriend. Said boyfriend married the dead girl’s best friend and become one of the most powerful attorneys in Philly.”

Sam blinked. “Wow. You sure don’t take on the easy ones, do you?” She took a drink from her glass. “So how did you finally nail him?”

“His brother went off the wagon and his wife was tired of his abuse. As soon as I was able to guarantee her protection, she told me of her suspicions.” She sighed. “The little brother had been living in his own hell trying to keep the secret for his more successful older brother.”

“And I thought our missing persons cases could get rough.”

“It was rough, but there was also a sense of satisfaction when it was all said and done,” Lilly confided. “It was a different feeling being able to give that mother closure after so long.”

“Are you planning on doing more cases like that? Ones that have been unsolved for so long?”

“I’m thinking about it,” she admitted, looking out the window thoughtfully before looking back at her friend. “There are plenty of detectives working on the modern cases as they happen, but walking through the cold case storeroom was a little depressing. It made me want to do more. I want to find answers for people that have been waiting for most of their lives for the truth to come out.”

“Well, Lil,” Sam said, looking at her friend with a smile. “If anyone can tackle those cases and solve them, I don’t think anyone could do it as well as you can.”

“Thanks, Sam.”

“Just don’t forget you have friends in New York who will help you any time you need it. You just have to call us.”

“I’ll try.”

Sam didn’t push her on that. She and Lilly were a lot alike and both of them tended to have a hard time asking for help.

They dropped the discussion about work as their dinner arrived, and for the rest of the evening, they talked about things that they could only talk to each other about. After dinner, they talked some more and then Sam walked Lilly out to her car.

“If you need anything…”

“I know, Sam,” Lilly said, hugging her. “You, too.”

Lilly started up her car, but didn’t pull away until she saw that Sam was safely in her own car. As she got onto the interstate to drive back to Philadelphia, she found herself thanking whatever was out there that she and Sam had each other to talk to.

Sometimes, that was all you needed.


End file.
